1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to improved techniques for diagnosing and monitoring data-processing system performance. In particular, the present invention relates to system events and audible sounds generated by particular system events. More particularly, the present invention relates to sound synthesis devices. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to methods and systems for diagnosing data-processing system failures utilizing sound synthesis devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Diagnosing the state of a data-processing system is difficult due to the amount of data that must be gathered, processed, and analyzed. Diagnosing a data-processing system, such as a computer system, requires a great deal of technical skill and experience in order to quickly and efficiently determine the cause of a particular problem. Currently, diagnosing a data-processing system requires the diagnostician or user to physically study interior electronic and other hardware devices, utilizing electrical tools, in combination with software devices, to diagnose specific system components. The diagnostician or user must have a thorough knowledge of both the electrical tools utilized to physically diagnose the data-processing system at hand, along with detailed system operations, such as a working knowledge of cache memory, storage devices, and other data-processing system components.
In essence, the diagnostician or user attempting to determine the cause of a system failure must be an expert in the area of data-processing system repair and configuration, particularly if a problem is to be diagnosed quickly. In the case of a computer system, for example, maintenance of the computer includes activities such as tests, measurements, replacements, and adjustments, which are intended to restore the particular computer or machine at hand to good working order. Typically, by the time even an expert has the tools in place to diagnose the computer system for maintenance and gather potential data related to the particular computer failure at hand, it is too late. The system may be beyond repair at that point.
The ability of a maintenance organization, under given conditions, to provide upon demand, the resources required to maintain and repair a functional unit, such as a computer or group of computers, is directly related to the ease with which a diagnostician or trained user can maintain and repair the functional unit. Presently, in order to maintain and repair computers, diagnosticians follow maintenance analysis procedures contained in a maintenance document that provides a service representative or diagnostician, a step-by-step procedure for tracing a symptom to the cause of failure. The diagnostician or user may also be assisted by a maintenance and operator subsystem that contains a processor and operates independently of the rest of the controller. This subsystem loads and supervises the controller, runs problem determination procedures, and assists in maintaining both hardware and software within the given computer system. In addition, a given computer system may include a maintenance panel, which is a part of a unit of equipment that is utilized for interaction between the unit of equipment and a diagnostician or maintenance engineer. The diagnostician or maintenance engineer thus typically relies on some sort of diagnostic aid, such as a tool, program, or reference manual, to detect and isolate a device or program malfunction or error.
All of these techniques and devices for diagnosing, maintaining and repairing data-processing systems, such as computers, require expertise on the part of the diagnostician or user and involve time consuming tasks, which may in themselves result in damage to the computer when the diagnostician or user physically interacts with the computer under repair or maintenance. The diagnostic function of a piece of equipment, such as a computer, directly contributes to both the longevity and efficiency of that particular piece of equipment. The diagnostic function of a piece of equipment is simply the capability of a functional unit to detect problems and identify the type of error at hand.
From the foregoing, it can be appreciated that maintaining and repairing a data-processing system is a difficult and often time consuming task. Any techniques or tools that would assist a diagnostician or user in increasing maintenance and repair time would be a welcome addition to the tools and techniques presently utilized by diagnosticians and users. In addition, any techniques or tools that would improve the diagnostic function of a data-processing system, such as a computer, would also contribute to the life of the computer itself. The disclosure provided herein addresses and solves these problems by describing a method and system that utilizes sounds and sound synthesis devices to assist diagnosticians and users in maintaining and repairing data-processing systems, in much the same manner that auto mechanics utilize sound to diagnose and repair automobiles. The ability of a trained human ear to identify and diagnose problems based on sound is a technique that diagnosticians and users will both find helpful in the years to come.